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Do you combine your Buddhist practicing with other Spiritual Disciplines?
I come from a background in spirituality where I have studied Shamanism, Hermeticism (Alchemy, Qabalah etc.) and also some more New Agy stuff from which the most predominant one is channelling (I have been channelling for over a decade now). So, my intention here is not to present my 'spiritual' resume, but to say that Buddhism came to my life as a complementary element to my other practices.
So the question I'm posing is: Do you practice solely Buddhism? Or do you combine it with other spiritual practices, and harmonious this combination has been for you? Love to hear your inputs...
So the question I'm posing is: Do you practice solely Buddhism? Or do you combine it with other spiritual practices, and harmonious this combination has been for you? Love to hear your inputs...
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Comments
Sometimes, but usually stick to a "solely Buddhist" routine.
Metta,
bucky
So my vote is, practice ... practice and see what actually happens.
Nothing else comes up to par or gives me the same kind of results.
It's like having a perfect cake mix - then deciding to add bananas, peanuts, pickles, bacon pieces, toffee caramel and onion.
Really, the cake can do fine without all this extra.....'stuff'.... :crazy:
I used to be a fully-accredited Black Hat Sect Feng Shui Consultant.
I used to earn good money. I mean, seriously good money.....
These are all different attachments which after a while, just weigh the raft down....
No. I see buddhism as a work of art...pretty perfect.
Welcome to this wonderful online community!
Respect to you and your beliefs; personally, I beleive Reiki and the idea of 'spiritual energy' is a sham.
I sincerely wish you the best on your path. As others have said, when you practice Buddhism for a while, other spiritual practices just start to seem unneccessary.
Namaste
For instance, I fell in love with a gemini, and I was like "What! Taurus's don't like Gemini's!". But when I did an in depth chart of both our full natal charts, I found that she was compatible with me on almost all levels. (We've been living together for 5 years now, and she moved in with me the first month I met her!) It kind of creeps me out how accurate some of the things are in my chart. In addition, it showed a falling out with the mother figure... and my mother and I have had no relationship for 10 years. When I was younger, I denied that this could have ever happened because I was someone who protected and cared for my...Mommie Dearest abusive mother, lol.
It also described that I would be someone who always wants to learn about life in depth, and that I would be very interested in spiritual matters. When I was younger I thought that meant Christian... but as I grew up I realized I did enjoy thinking about spiritual matters- from the perspective of Buddhism.
My grandmother always taught me that astrology just pointed out what could be, but that I had a choice to shape my personality. For instance, my sagittarius rising means I want the truth... but mixed with a Taurus sun sign, it means I might become someone who stubbornly thrusts their "truths" on others. So now I try to be careful about my tendency to argue with other's, or thrust my views on them.
Yet... I reiterate... I don't believe in fate! Lol. I wonder if Buddhists in history used astrology? I know that Buddhism sprang from a country that practiced astrology.
The more I understand Buddhism, the more differences I see with Daoism, though there is some overlap-- it is a bit of a generalisation, but Zen Buddhism certainly was heavily influenced by Daoism. I don't mingle these ideas together though (Dao and sunyata, for example, are NOT synonymous at all). But I would say I probably take a more laid back Daoist attitude with me in my personal approach to the Buddhadharma-- which is fine for me, since I lean to Zen Buddhism anyway.
Learning about aspects of other religious and philosophical traditions is handy, sometimes to clarify (by comparison and contrast) Buddhist approaches to life, but generally, I think mixing traditions is only to get mixed up. But maybe that's just me. After all, Buddhism has so much breadth and depth, how could one have time add on other traditions to it?
What I'm saying is that in time, we learn to shed that which has become unnecessary on our journey.
It's called detachment, and as I'm sure you realise, in time, it all has to be put down, anyway.
I still occasionally advise people on Feng Shui aspects, but for nothing.
And it's just suggestions, not recommendations....
With metta Budding_Flower...
There are all kinds of pschological reasons astrology can seem to work. But the fact is, it doesn't.
they are very similar?
This forum discusses this very thing happening....
Derren Brown proved quite emphatically, broadcast on TV, that this could be done. I watched the programme in question.
It was quite fascinating.
You don't need a psychological study. You just need 12 unconnected people, and separate interviews.
I have personally witnessed someone who got a report that did not fit them, they knew it, protested, and it turned out to be an anomaly in the information given to the astrologer, namely the wrong time of birth.
I was hoping for a little more scientific... less jaded.
I watched him interview each of the applicants. I then watched him individually hand round the horoscopes.
I watched as each person read their horoscope intently, agreeing with the findings, and two people even being reduced to tears, as they marvelled, emotionally, at how penetrating Derren brown's readings had been.
I then saw their faces, as aghast, they read each others' readings - and discovered that they were all identical.
And yet, they had all identified intimately, closely, with everything he had written.
I don't know what kind of scientific psychological evidence you are seeking. I think this speaks volumes, and would amply qualify.
What do you need? For someone to have the word 'professor' before his name, and an institute they work from?
Why would it be any more credible research?
My account is not jaded. It happened as it happened, and I'm telling it like it happened. It's not jaded at all. It's accurate.
I'd like you to present some verifiable scientific research to demonstrate that such readings are individually accurate and can be proven as such.
From this perspective, why not integrate in whatever fashion feels natural or comfortable? Buddhism should not be about forced conversion to a particular "ideal."
It is you who are demonstrating confirmation bias. You have been shown an explicit example where it has been demonstrated that people are easily duped into believing astrological 'readings', yet you simply dismiss this evidence because it doesn't fit neatly with your preconceived notions. Your point about an incorreect report simply shows someone not believing, then beleiving a reading. This does nothing to refute the experiment.
Studies have also repeatedly shown that astrological sign bears zero connection to any major psychological assessment techniques.
What is a 'Light Body'? I have one body, and it's not made of light.
Namaste
From what I know, religions like Christianity, and Islam, if practiced properly, will lead to rebirth in a heavenly realm, possibly a Bhrama-Loca, or Bhrama-World. It should be interesting to note that there are descriptions of Bhrama beings in the discourses of the Buddha who held them selves to be all powerful and the creator of everything in existence (sound familiar)? The Buddha then proceeded to dematerialize from this realm, re-appear in the Bhrama-Loca, and dispel this wrong view from the Bhrama. He did encounter some resistance from Mara, the evil one, however in the end the Buddha prevailed at reinstating a correct view of the Dhamma in the mind of the Bhrama, which most likely conduced to his happiness for a very long time. The down side of this is that all conditioned phenomena, heaven being included in this category, is impermanent. This means that after a very long period of time of being alive in the heavenly realm, you will die, and pass on according to your previously performed actions, which might not be so good, and can lead to rebirth in a lower realm. Therein lies the danger in sensual pleasures, and clinging to the five aggregates. This is where the Buddha comes into play.
Buddha says that just by hearing the Dhamma, accepting in it, and believing in it , you will go to heaven. Now how powerful is that? But even more of what the Dhamma can do for you, that no other spiritual tradition can do, is lead you to Nibbana, which is like unending heaven. There is no more birth, and no more death. Just complete stillness, tranquility, happiness, and peace.
That is why there is nothing more powerful on Earth than the Dhamma, and that is why it is so important for us to learn to understand it, and put it into practice.
You keep saying science and studies, but offered no factual data... which I was hoping for. I accept you and fed feel astrology is wrong, I'm not intending to argue otherwise, because I don't know. I've never found a study one way or another, and when I looked into it, there seemed to be a set of reasonable, observable descriptions for personality archetypes.
If you really can't see why I rejected fed's offering, not out of confirmation bais, but through honoring the scientific method, we may as well drop it. Its not that important anyway.
Fed - isn't this where you get stern about the OT to the OP?
Such solid views for such unrelated data!
To some of the people who are practicing such beautiful Buddhist manners. Please remember that I was simply sharing personal experiences in answer to the original topic's question. I did not intend to start a war, nor was I looking for validation for my practices from others. People been feisty lately... with all the back and forth banter, quoting, criticisms and nitpicking.
I been all over the map as well.
What you mentioned in your post and more!
I have also practiced with different masters, my own experiences, classes, workshops and all the other "stuff.";)
Personally, Buddhism just works for me.:)
for some reason i have to realize all this things my self. through deep mediation i have come up with my own conclusions
and something that works for me. its like realizing is an actually a way of applying the concepts.
i have found many people on this site. with many different ideas. and everyone hear is very open and giving.
thank you
juan orellana
i love you unconditionally
Exactly - and when the placebo affect is as strong as the supposed medicine, then the medicine is not considered good!
If you want to, theres lots of data out there, just hit up google and start reading and if you have a scientific kind of mind, you'll soon see astrology is built on shaky ground indeed. But seems like your not really bothered either way, all good..
I thought we were just exchanging ideas.
Good call.